Black_Feather
69 Cal.
Hi, I was hoping if someone could tell me the most popular years the hawken was originally in use? Thanks, Also on a side note, we’re there knock offs and look alikes of the half stock Hawken? Thanks guys.
When was the hay day of the Hawken?
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1840's-mid 1850's
But truly there have been more Hawkenesque rifles made in the modern era to the point it could be argued its proper heyday was back in the late 70's to early 2000's.
But truly there have been more Hawkenesque rifles made in the modern era to the point it could be argued its proper heyday was back in the late 70's to early 2000's.
Cynthialee's comment reminded me of a great comment I heard back in 1986 when I was attending the Gulf Coast Mustang owner's club meeting in Pensacola, Florida and the guest speaker was Lee Iacocca (father of the Mustang for those who don't know). Anyway, he started his comments by saying how good it made him feel to see how many people were restoring vintage Mustangs and keeping them from the scrap yards and then he said "yeah, I never dreamed just how beloved that car would someday become. There are more of them on the roads today than we ever originally built!"
The most popular years of the Hawken rifle were as Cynthia Lee says. The Hawken rifles were also quite popular during the California Gold Rush of 1849 with the famous endorsement by Captain Marcy.
However, it wasn't knock offs and look alike rifles that sold in far greater quantities than the Hawken rifles, it was the trade rifles in Lancaster architecture by Leman, Deringer and Henry, but in larger calibers such as 54. The English Scroll guard rifles sold for the western plains usage were based on the English Half Stock Sporting Rifle in flint by Tyron, Henry. The Plains caliber rifles sold by Dimick and Creamer and many of the scores of rifle builders selling rifles in Missouri to people crossing the plains. The record indicates that far more people bought the $12 Leman rifle or $10 SxS shotguns than the $35 Hawken Rifle.
The excellent sketchbook by Hanson provides details of these interesting rifles. Might be hard to find.
https://www.amazon.com/trade-rifle-...&sprefix=sketchbook+by+hanson,aps,422&sr=8-15
Black_Feather
69 Cal.
Thank you very much!
Black_Feather
69 Cal.
That’s what I figured. Thank you.
Black_Feather
69 Cal.
On a side note, did they ever make hawken pistols?
The Hawken Brothers did indeed make pistols. Single shot percussion pistols.
Arguably, the pistols made by Creamer were better.
Arguably, the pistols made by Creamer were better.
Black_Feather
69 Cal.
I just looked up a Dimick and Creamer half stock rifle...WOW! Their pistols are beautiful too...Had no idea they existed.
SamTex1949
32 Cal.
Here is an interesting article !
https://frontierpartisans.com/22103/firearms-of-the-frontier-partisans-philip-creamer-gunsmith/
https://frontierpartisans.com/22103/firearms-of-the-frontier-partisans-philip-creamer-gunsmith/
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I’ve been trying to figure out what $25 to 35 1840 dollars would be equivalent to today (2022). The online inflation calculators that I have found don’t go back that far.
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There's a new book out about the Hawken, the NMLRA site has it listed.
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What is the new book on Bridger he was writing about?
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The actual Hawken or the Hawken-style?
There were rifles of this style used by Civil War Sharpshooters , especially early in the war. Were they actual Hawkens? I'm sure some were.
I'd say Jeremiah Johnson caused a resurgence in the modern Hawken repros.
There were rifles of this style used by Civil War Sharpshooters , especially early in the war. Were they actual Hawkens? I'm sure some were.
I'd say Jeremiah Johnson caused a resurgence in the modern Hawken repros.
That’s not a clear translation however. Money over centuries is very hard. Land was much cheaper then, and so were rents, food more expensive, as was clothing. However people tended to have much less clothing. Three shirts, a couple of trouser, One sunday go to meeting maybe. Stockings, waist coat coat and over coat, one or two hats and one winters cap.
Some cheap things were grossly expensive. Salt in Saint Louis sold for the same price as gun powder per pound.
A working man might expect thirty to forty dollars a month. A skilled journeyman would be in the five hundred per year
A beer in a tavern could come with a free lunch
So a Hawken cost the best part of what a carpenter, mason, cooper such could make in two to three weeks, a farm or construction labor that would be nearly a months wages
allyncooper
32 Cal
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Pretty new to the world of muzzeloaders here. I would think a "Hawkin" style firearm would be a percussion (although I have read the Hawkin brothers did make some flinters) while a "Pennsylvania" or "Kentucky" rifle would be a flinter and not a percussion. Would I be correct in this assesment?
Actually, William W. Hawken and Christopher M. Hawken, went totally bankrupt in St. Louis in March of 1857, which was the business of the Hawken family throughout the "golden years" of what is called the "Hawken Rifle". Sam, at that time, had apparently taken off from gunsmithing but later on, worked with Gemmer.
There were many gunsmiths working the westward trade in Missouri along the Missouri River from which settlers outfitted for westward travel. St. louis was the home of many, but as opportunities opened up further upstream thanks to the steamboat, so did gunsmiths. Percussion firearms were touted as being able to "fire under water". So ...were civil war snipers armed with "Hawkens"? Not newly made ones from the Hawken shop. It was gone. Source - Missouri Gunsmiths To 1900 by Victor A. Paul
There were many gunsmiths working the westward trade in Missouri along the Missouri River from which settlers outfitted for westward travel. St. louis was the home of many, but as opportunities opened up further upstream thanks to the steamboat, so did gunsmiths. Percussion firearms were touted as being able to "fire under water". So ...were civil war snipers armed with "Hawkens"? Not newly made ones from the Hawken shop. It was gone. Source - Missouri Gunsmiths To 1900 by Victor A. Paul
